Creative and compelling

The second prize in the "People" category is this intriguing image of Amsterdam museum visitors.

Courtesy Julius Y. / National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year

"I was inspired by the variety of locations and creativity of the photographers in their quest to make compelling images," says judge Molly Roberts, senior photography editor at National Geographic.

The eclectic subjects of the photographs range from swans flying over water in Japan, to tourists observing a Rembrandt painting at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

Velasco's grand prize photograph features the Volcán de Colima, in Mexico's Jalisco state. The photographer says he took the image after tracking the volcano's seismic activity for nearly a month.

"The image showed those amazing forces of nature interacting on a volcano, while the lightning brightened the whole scene," he says. "It's an impossible photograph and my once in a lifetime shot that shows the power of nature."